In the blink of an eye, dark clouds covered the sky, plunging the surroundings into gloom. The flowing river shimmered under the purple glow, its waves surging with occasional whirlpools, creating a terrifying spectacle.
In Meng Qi’s vision, all he saw was a sky filled with purple lightning. The Thunder Saber struck down from above, unleashing five simultaneous strikes, creating a terrifying explosion. It radiated outward as if using himself as the “core,” clearing everything in its path and destroying all that lay before it!
Was this the “Thunder Blast of Five Peaks”?
The “Seven Strikes of Purple Lightning”?
The mythic “Heavenly Thunder God of the Nine Heavens”!
Meng Qi’s pupils constricted. He never expected that even the “mythical” faction would send someone to the divine capital, daring enough to attempt an assassination!
This was using the power of the external realm as a blade, aiming for a single, decisive strike—just like how he had assassinated Yang Wu Liang in daylight under the Jin Prince’s domain.
Initially, he had only been wary of experts from the Heaven-Annihilating Gate and the Luo Sect. Yet, by sheer coincidence, he sensed the threat from the “Heavenly Thunder God of the Nine Heavens.” Had he not, he would not have reacted in time. One strike from such an opponent would have meant certain death, with no escape.
This was a massive gap in cultivation realms, an insurmountable difference without secret treasures.
Moreover, the Heavenly Thunder God was no novice in the external realm. In terms of combat strength, he might even surpass Ze Luo.
Boom!
Thunder exploded, purple lightning raged, and the long sabre, like a divine punishment, slashed downward with terrifying majesty, its every movement marked by the terrifying aura of thunder patterns.
At that moment, a blade of light surged from the ground, the clouds thickened further, and silver serpents danced wildly, making the area seem like the end of the world.
Boom!
The blade light split into five layers, displaying variations of speed, slowness, heaviness, emptiness, and intensity. Meng Qi, already on high alert, reacted preemptively rather than waiting until the thunder “struck” to respond frantically.
Had he done otherwise, he would have been doomed!
Boom!
In midair, cyan thunder gathered and suddenly struck downward, thick as water buckets, strike after strike, the Five Thunders striking the head!
This time, Meng Qi expanded his techniques, slashing upward from below. His long sabre embodied the vastness of the heavens, encompassing all variations, subtly manifesting an “inner world” state. This was no longer the thunder guiding the blade; instead, the sabre danced alongside divine punishment, attacking the enemy from above and below!
The Yuan Shen sat at the center, surrounded by myriad heavens, with a great sun revolving on the periphery and the Primordial Void emerging. His long sabre flickered darkly, like the sky before a lightning strike, or like the boundless void beyond the universe.
“Break through!” Meng Qi roared inwardly, pushing his momentum to its peak, unyielding even before an external realm opponent.
If death was inevitable, he would not show weakness or despair. He would ensure his opponent suffered too!
With the resolve to die, he fought for a sliver of hope!
Boom! The explosion shook the surroundings, heard far and wide. Cyan thunder struck into the purple lightning, and the void itself seemed to absorb the blade’s sharpness. Meng Qi suddenly felt his “Wound of Heaven” become a hundredfold heavier, so much so that he could no longer lift it. Powerful purple lightning surged from the blade’s momentum, striking him repeatedly.
His protective aura formed a barrier, turning death into survival. Electric currents danced wildly around Meng Qi, flickering on and off, sending waves of numbness and pain through him. A golden light emerged, resisting the invasion.
Over the past year, Meng Qi had used the first volume of the Yi Jin Jing to elevate both the Indestructible Seal Method and the Solitary Heaven Saber to the external realm level. Without this, even if he had managed a strike of external realm caliber against the Heavenly Thunder God, he likely would have suffered a crushing defeat. But now, with his combined strength, he had narrowly avoided immediate defeat.
Crack! Crack! The green stones beneath Meng Qi’s feet shattered one after another, scattering in all directions. The two sabres clashed midair, momentarily freezing the scene. Purple and cyan lightning coiled around them, making the two combatants appear like gods.
Clang!
In the distant echo, Meng Qi moved unnaturally sideways, dragging residual purple lightning with him like a phantom. Like a phantom demon, he darted out of the blade’s range and directly toward the river, where a beast-like presence lurked.
“Hmph!” The Heavenly Thunder God had failed to land a decisive blow and showed slight surprise, but his hands did not falter. He pushed his long sabre forward, transforming it into a dragon of purple lightning, violently pursuing Meng Qi, aiming for a swift victory faster than Meng Qi could track—only sensing a flash of light.
Splash! Raindrops fell, rippling the river. With one slash from the Heavenly Thunder God, the river split apart, its flow cut off instantly.
Yet Meng Qi seemed to have anticipated this. The moment he lunged forward, his aura suddenly became ethereal, as if hidden within the Primordial Void, instantly breaking free from the lock. Then, in midair, he made an inexplicable turn, rushing toward another direction.
Seeing this, the Heavenly Thunder God released his sabre, hurling it toward Meng Qi. It transformed into countless sabre-shaped lightning bolts, enveloping Meng Qi and blocking all avenues of escape, treating him as an external realm flyer.
Boom! Winter thunder cracked, its sound shaking the soul. Meng Qi’s Yuan Shen trembled, feeling as if returning to chaos.
Lightning patterns emerged on his hand, dripping with purple energy, neutralizing most of the effects, allowing him to barely respond.
By now, he had half-turned, his expression filled with fighting spirit, as if his earlier escape had merely been a ruse, all leading up to this moment of fierce confrontation.
“Kill!”
Meng Qi roared, unleashing purple lightning as his blade energy erupted. Nine furious dragons coiled together, head to tail, rolling forward like a wheel, crushing the sabre-shaped lightning!
He was now capable of launching two external realm-level attacks, even slightly weaker than the first!
Boom!
Purple light exploded in midair, blooming like fireworks—breathtakingly beautiful. The stone bridge spanning the river swayed precariously before collapsing with a thunderous crash, sending towering waves surging into the sky.
The surroundings were charred black, devoid of flowers, grass, or trees. Fish floated belly-up on the river’s surface, sinking and rising.
Meng Qi, in midair, could not maneuver as freely as the Heavenly Thunder God. He was sent flying backward, crashing into the soil on the opposite bank, dizzy and disoriented, purple lightning dancing across his body. His golden aura dimmed, blood flowing from his seven orifices—he was seriously wounded.
The Heavenly Thunder God showed no sign of weakening. Just as he prepared to attack again, he suddenly paused, let out a cold snort, turned, and vanished into the darkness.
The commotion had drawn the attention of powerful presences, and since he had failed to defeat Meng Qi within two or three moves, he had no choice but to retreat.
“Haha, weakling!”
Despite blood spilling from his mouth, Meng Qi laughed loudly, mocking the Thunder God, causing the latter’s retreating figure to hesitate slightly.
In that battle, Meng Qi had never considered fleeing because this was the divine capital. If he could endure three strikes, the Heavenly Thunder God would inevitably retreat!
Although Meng Qi still had some confidence in escaping, adopting a fleeing mindset would weaken his resolve to fight to the death, making him vulnerable to exploitation, likely resulting in even worse injuries.
Wang Wenxian, having been warned by Meng Qi and thus anticipating the event, was the first to sense the disturbance and arrive on the scene. Seeing Meng Qi unharmed, he breathed a slight sigh of relief: “This old man was indeed negligent. I never expected them to be so audacious as to launch a sudden attack on you immediately after you met with me.”
“It wasn’t someone from the Heaven-Annihilating Gate or the Luo Sect. It was the Heavenly Thunder God of the ‘mythical’ faction.” Meng Qi stood up, wiping blood from his face.
This fellow was likely a leftover from the Su Nu Sect, a cultivator of medicinal residue.
Wang Wenxian’s expression darkened: “Mythical?”
As he was about to ask further, he saw Su Yue approaching, the golden eye hanging from his waist. He nodded and said, “First, let’s inform the Six Gates Bureau about this matter.”
Wang Wenxian valued rules above all. He would not overstep his authority; this was the Six Gates Bureau’s jurisdiction. Naturally, he would privately investigate the matter.
After bowing respectfully, Su Yue led Meng Qi back to the Six Gates Bureau headquarters.
This was Meng Qi’s first time seeing the legendary headquarters up close, and he felt quite curious. Externally, it appeared as an old garden with many towering trees, concealing small buildings painted in muted red or green tones. It was hard to believe this was the headquarters of the Six Gates Bureau, renowned for its dominance over the martial world.
Yet, many of the passing officers exuded powerful auras, some even wearing purple sashes and golden insignias, clearly living up to the Bureau’s reputation.
Su Yue led Meng Qi into a clean and tidy office, smiling: “Ever since the Wolf King incident, we’ve wanted you to return to headquarters to receive your reward. But either we couldn’t contact you, or we hesitated to speak openly, fearing exposure of your identity. Now, finally, we have the opportunity.”
“Reward?” Meng Qi focused on that word.
The Wolf King was at the top of the wanted list. Eliminating him certainly merits a reward. After deliberation between the Chief Investigator and several of our Divine Investigators, we have decided to promote you to the rank of Silver Seal Investigator. You may select an external realm cultivation technique, corresponding elixirs, or treasures. However, as you have not completed any assigned missions over the past year and a half and have frequently been unreachable, your previous salary will be deducted accordingly.
One reward and one penalty—a fair balance, demonstrating the Six Gates Bureau’s discipline.
A year and a half’s salary… Meng Qi suddenly felt a pang of regret. Ever since Gao Lan took him away, he had focused solely on training and cultivation, neglecting such matters.
If refined into elixirs for the Six Paths, it would have been worth over 3,000 units of virtuous merit…
At least there was still a reward! As a Silver Seal Investigator, his monthly salary would amount to roughly 300 karma points in total… Meng Qi consoled himself with this thought.
“You can handle the reward and promotion in secret in a couple of days. Also, meet with the Emperor and the Chief Investigator to complete the necessary formalities,” Su Yue reminded him, his expression turning serious. “Now, tell me all the details of what happened.”
After Meng Qi finished recounting, Su Yue paced thoughtfully: “You’ve been influenced by that killer who attacked the guest scholar of the Jin Prince’s Mansion. Such brazen assaults were rare in the divine capital before.”
…
What could Meng Qi say? He could only indignantly declare: “Such audacious and lawless individuals must be severely punished as a warning to others!”
“Hmm,” Su Yue nodded. “The matter regarding the stolen goods might be significant. Once you contact your friend, don’t forget to submit a confidential report. As for the ‘mythical’ faction, we will thoroughly investigate and see who dares to harbor them!”
He paused, looking at Meng Qi: “Surviving three external realm-level strikes confirms your rightful place as the number one on the Ranks. You are certainly no less formidable than He Jiu. Well done, well done.”
He seemed genuinely pleased, patting Meng Qi on the shoulder: “Being targeted by an external realm opponent is dangerous. You should move back home. At least there are formations and an external realm guardian there. Although your father may seem cold toward you, he actually cares deeply. He helped conceal your identity to avoid trouble and even petitioned the Emperor to exempt you from returning to the capital for reporting purposes, allowing you to train freely.”
Meng Qi had already planned to review Su Zi Yuan’s old records, so he readily agreed.
Under Su Yue’s escort, he returned to the Su residence. As he approached the courtyard where he had previously lived, he saw Su Zi Yue rushing out excitedly, her face flushed with excitement: “Second elder brother, I heard you withstood three external realm-level strikes?”
“Mm,” Meng Qi nodded slightly, impressed by how quickly news had spread in the divine capital.
“That’s amazing! So amazing!” Su Zi Yue’s eyes sparkled, then she asked with concern: “Second elder brother, are you injured?”
Meng Qi chuckled: “Of course I’m injured. Just not too seriously.”
“That’s good,” Su Ziyue patted her chest in relief, then looked slightly worried. “Second brother, the three Ke brothers heard about your fight with an external realm opponent and plan to challenge you tomorrow! Hmph, taking advantage of your weakened state!”
Meng Qi patted her shoulder, laughing: “Even a tiger in decline won’t be bullied by stray dogs!”
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